Despite his best efforts to rally conservatives behind immigration reform, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is starting to feel the heat from the right, drawing heavy fire even from previous conservative ally Sarah Palin, and weakening his position with Republicans across the nation.

On Sunday and Monday, the former Alaska governor, best known for being the vice presidential candidate on the Republican ticket in 2008, ripped into Rubio and his immigration reform proposal.

“Just like they did with Obamacare, some in Congress intend to ‘Pelosi’ the amnesty bill,” Palin posted on Facebook on Monday, referring to the liberal Democratic House leader, Nancy Pelosi. “They’ll pass it in order to find out what’s in it. And just like the unpopular, unaffordable Obamacare disaster, this pandering, rewarding-the-rule-breakers, still-no-border-security, special-interests-ridden, 24-pound disaster of a bill is not supported by informed Americans.

“I am an ardent supporter of legal immigration,” Palin insisted. “I’m proud that our country is so desirable that it has been a melting pot making a diverse people united as the most exceptional nation on earth for over two centuries. But I join every American with an ounce of common sense insisting that any discussion about immigration must center on a secure border. The amnesty bill before the Senate is completely toothless on border security.”

Palin called out Rubio, who is expected to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, by name -- while talking up one of his possible rivals, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

“It’s beyond disingenuous for anyone to claim that a vote for this bill is a vote for security,” Palin wrote. “ Look no further than the fact that Senator Rubio and amnesty supporters nixed Senator Thune’s amendment that required the feds to finally build part of a needed security fence before moving forward on the status of illegal immigrants who’ve already broken the law to be here.

"And if shooting down the border fence wasn't proof enough, they blew another chance by killing Senator Paul’s ‘Trust But Verify’ amendment which required the completion of a fence in five years and required Congress to vote on whether the border is actually secure before furthering any immigration measures. And then they blew it yet again, nixing Senator Cornyn’s ‘Results’ amendment, which also required border enforcement standards. Now the Senate’s pro-amnesty crowd is offering a fig leaf to security via the Corker-Hoeven Amendment, but this is really nothing more than empty promises. It’s amnesty right now and border security … eh, well, someday.”

Palin promised to make immigration a major issue in the 2014 election cycle, comparing it to 2010 when the tea party movement helped propel Republican gains as Americans rallied against President Barack Obama’s federal health-care law.

“As the Senate moves to pass amnesty, the only bright spot in this travesty is the rallying revolution we can look forward to,” Palin wrote on Monday. “For just as opposition to Obamacare became a rallying cry for the 2010 midterm elections, opposition to this fundamentally transforming amnesty bill will galvanize the grass roots in next year’s elections. And 2014 is just around the corner.”

Nor was this Palin’s only attack on Rubio in recent days. On Sunday, Palin highlighted a story from Townhall.com which insisted Rubio shifted his position on immigration between when he ran for the Senate in 2010 and today.

“Politicians wonder why we can't trust them?” Palin demanded on Facebook on Sunday before including Alaska’s two U.S. senators -- Democrat Mark Begich and Republican Lisa Murkowski. “Campaign flip-flops like this and carve-out bribes in the Amnesty Bill for politicians like Begich and Murkowski to exempt Alaska seafood workers.”

For his part, Rubio continues to try to win conservatives over to his immigration reform bill. On Monday he took to the pages of Human Events which, for decades, has been a leading conservative journal. Rubio returned to the theme of American exceptionalism in his essay.

“America is a special country,” Rubio wrote. “It’s so special that people want to come here from all over the world, and they are able to because we have always been a welcoming society. In fact, over 1 million people come legally every single year. No other country comes even close to us, and we are a stronger, more prosperous and more dynamic country because of it. We also understand that America is so special and unique that some people are willing to risk their lives to come here illegally. And as compassionate people, we understand that reality and the desperation that usually drives it, and our heart breaks at the stories of what people have to go through to come here.

“Unfortunately, decades of broken promises have led to a crisis on our southern border and an illegal immigrant population of 11 million people living in de facto amnesty,” Rubio continued. “This situation hurts America, and it’s why strong border security and enforcement measures must be an important part of the Senate immigration bill currently being debate.”

The immigration reform bill is expected to pass the Senate this week with perhaps as many as 70 votes -- far more than the 60 needed to break a filibuster. But its fate in the Republican-controlled House remains uncertain.

In the meantime, a new poll finds Rubio is starting to become increasingly less popular with conservatives as he continues to be front and center on immigration reform -- showing that his high visibility on the issue could hurt his chances for the White House in 2016.

A Rasmussen Reports poll released on Monday finds 58 percent of Republicans across the nation have a favorable view of Rubio -- down from 68 percent in a Rasmussen poll from May. Rubio is seen as unfavorable by 16 percent of Republicans while 25 percent are undecided.

The poll of 1,000 likely voters was taken from June 20-21 and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.

Comments (13)

Dave Francis

3:54PM JUN 30TH 2013

Have you recognized that although liberals are adamant the bill will secure our borders, there's a clause (AS ALWAYS) in it that says Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, a liberal appointee lackey doesn't have to follow all the way through with border security measures. Its all “smoke and mirrors as usual”? This woman whether from influence from in the Department of Justice, has not enforced deporting illegal aliens now, including criminals—or even build the real double layer parallel fencing? So do you think she has going to enforce laws now?

Chris Crain, President of the ICE union (Internal Enforcement) was completely ignored in the Senate bill for ground agents and equipment. The Justice Department is already being sued by ICE, and now the U.S. Border Patrol agents are also taking the Obama administration for not being allowed to carry out the law. Chris Crain stated today that 40 percent of foreign nationals do not arrive through borders; they arrive by plane and so without any ENTRY/ EXIT verification system at ports of entry, they remain undetected, settling here after their visa has expired. Unlike border entries who when caught are fingerprinted, those who come here hand over a flimsy card, of where they are supposed to be staying as a visitor, but of course abscond. With only 5.000 ICE agents for the whole country has no means to follow up. Yet the Senate has done nothing about the limited enforcement and instead is recruiting 20.000 Border Patrol agents, when half of that number or even more should work inside the United States.

IF THE SENATE WAS SERIOUS ABOUT STOPPING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, WHY DID THEY NOT GIVE ICE AT LEAST HALF OF THE VOLUME OF AGENTS TO ENFORCE IMMIGRATION LAWS ON EMPLOYERS INTERNALLY? Petition at NumbersUSA

SARAH IS RIGHT AS RAIN ON ALL ASPECTS OF HER REMARKS. YOU CAN TRY TO SPIN IT ANY WAY YOU WANT AND TRY TO DISCREDIT HER BUT MY FRIEND YOU ONLY MAKE YOURSELF LOOK SMALL. OBAMA CARE WAS VOTED IN WITH NO IDEA OF WHAT IT WAS AND ONLY VOTED IN BY DEMOCRATS. IT WAS RULED A TAX BY THE SUPREME COURT AND THUS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REVOKED AT THAT TIME. IT WAS NOT PUT BEFORE CONGRESS AS A TAX SO IT WAS NEVER TREATED AS A TAX. THE BORDERS ARE VERY INSECURE AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT. THIS AMNESTY BILL, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT IT REALLY IS, WILL BRING ALL THESE CRIMINALS, YES CRIMINALS, HERE TO WORK LEGALLY AND STILL HURT OUR UNEMPLOYMENT EVEN WORSE THAN EVER. WITH ALL THE "FREEBIES" OBAMA HAS GIVEN OUT, IT MAKES IT EASIER TO STAY AT HOME AND LET THE TAXPAYERS SUPPORT YOU THAN GO OUT AND BUST YOUR BUTT ON ONE OR TWO JOBS TO MAKE ENDS MEET. OBAMA AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY SEEM TO WANT EVERYONE COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON THE GOVERNMENT. THIS IS A COMPLETE OPPOSITE TO WHAT THIS COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED. YOU WORK AND MAKE YOUR WAY IN THIS WORLD AND THAT IS THAT. SIT AT HOME AND WAIT FOR EVERYONE ELSE TO SUPPORT YOU IS A DESPICABLE WAY TO LIVE AND YOU WILL NEVER GET ANYWHERE IN LIFE.
SARAH IS PLAIN SPOKEN AND PROBABLY A HECK OF A LOT MORE SAVVY TO THE WORLDLY EVENTS THAN MANY PEOPLE THINK SHE IS. I VOTED FOR HER IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION NOT JOHN MCCAIN. AS YOU CAN SEE NOW, HE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAVE BUT WE WOULD HAVE HAD A LOT BETTER VP AND A GOOD RUNNER FOR PRESIDENT IN THE FOLLOWING ELECTION YEAR.
I AM A RETIRED DISABLED MARINE. I DRAW MY LITTLE DISABILITY CHECK AND WORK A FULL TIME JOB. I AM 63 YEARS OLD AND STILL BELIEVE IN THIS GREAT COUNTRY. I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF CHANGES IN MY TIME AND HAVE BECOME ASHAMED OF THE WAY A LOT OF THE POLITICIANS ARE RUINING THIS COUNTRY. THERE NEEDS TO BE A LIMIT ON HOW LONG THEY CAN STAY IN OFFICE BECAUSE THEY " SURLY LOOSE ANY IDEA OF HOW IT IS WHERE THEY CAME FROM" AND ARE ELECTED TO REPRESENT. ANY POLITICIAN THAT VOTES FOR ANY IMMIGRATION BILL THAT DOES NOT SECURE THE BORDER FIRST SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED BY A TRUE AMERICAN BECAUSE HE JUST SOLD THE COUNTRY DOWN THE RIVER...AND GETS PAID TO DO SO BY OUR TAXES AND THE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS.
WANT TO SECURE THE BORDER? TAKE ALL THESE ARMY , MARINE, AIRMEN THAT HAVE FOUGHT TO DEFEND THIS GREAT COUNTRY AND PUT THEM ON BORDER SECURITY. THEY ARE ALREADY TRAINED AND THAT WILL SAVE A FEW DOLLARS. THROW OUT OBAMA CARE AND YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO HIRE 16,000 NEW IRS EMPLOYEES TO HANDLE ALL THE OBAMA CARE DOLLARS. WITH OBAMA CARE OUT, WE CAN REWORK A SOLID PLAN TO REPAIR OUR HEALTH SYSTEM BUT IF OBAMA CONTINUES TO GIVE EVERY THING FOR "FREE" THEN WE WILL BE BROKE. I KNOW THIS ISN'T ALL OBAMA'S FAULT BUT WHEN HE WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT I WAS HOPING THAT HE WOULD REALLY HELP THIS COUNTRY. HE HAD A DEMOCRATIC EVERYTHING FOR TWO YEARS AND BECAME A WORSE PRESIDENT THAN JIMMY CARTER.
THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM ISN'T REALLY BROKE. IT IS A VICTIM OF THEFT. THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN TAKING SOCIAL SECURITY MONEY FOR YEARS AND NEVER REPAYING REPLACING THE MONEY. THEY INESSENCE ROBBED THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND THEN TELL US IT IS BROKE. NOT BROKE BECAUSE IF IT HAD BEEN LEFT ALONE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN PLENTY OF MONEY. OF COURSE WE ARE BACK TO "FREE LOADERS" THAT STAY HOME AND LIVE OFF THE HAND OUTS AND WON'T WORK. THEY ALSO DON'T PAY A PENNY IN TAXES BUT CAN FUSS IF THEY DON'T GET THE NEWEST IPHONE OR VIDEO GAME BECAUSE THEIR CHECKS FROM THE GOVERNMENT AREN'T QUITE THAT BIG YET. GIVE IT TIME, THEY WILL BE UNTIL THIS COUNTRY IS COMPLETELY BROKE.
SORRY, I GOT A LITTLE OFF TRACK. BACK TO THE ORIGINAL POINT OF THIS COMMENT PAPER. I THINK SARAH HAS BEEN GIVEN A BAD , UPSIDE DOWN , REPORT ON WHAT SHE SAID. YOU NEED TO STEP BACK AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID AND SOME OF YOUR REFERENCES. I THINK THEY ARE A LITTLE WEAK AND ONE SIDED. RUBIO SEEMS TO BE TRYING TO BE A GOOD HONEST GUY BUT HE IS STILL WET BEHIND THE EARS SO FAR. JOHN MCCAIN IS GONE BY THE WAYSIDE AND HAS SOLD ARIZONA DOWN THE RIVER A FEW TIMES IN MY OPINION. I THINK HE AND SARAH SHOULD GET TOGETHER AND COMPARE NOTES. GET THE TWO RICKS AND NEWT TOGETHER WITH THEM AND I BET YOU IN 6 WEEKS OR LESS THEY CAN COME UP WITH A GOOD SOLID IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL THAT WILL WORK.....BUT WON'T BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE PELOSI AND MCCAIN AND REED. THEY WILL GO AGAINST ANYTHING THEY DIDN'T COME UP WITH ON THEIR OWN OR HAVE A HAND IN OR MAKE POINTS FROM THE PASSING. I DON'T THINK PELOSI KNOWS WHAT PRIDE IN THE COUNTRY MEANS. I FIGURED THAT OUT WHEN SHE WHINNED ABOUT NOT HAVING HER OWN PLANE TO FLY HER AND HER STAFF BACK AND FORTH TO FROM CALIFORNIA TO WASHINGTON OR WHERE EVER SHE SO DESIRED. THE COUNTRY WAS GOING THRU A VERY BAD FINANCIAL SPOT AND SHE, A MULTIMILLIONAIRE WANTED THE "GOVERNMENT" TO PROVIDE HER A PRIVATE AIRLINER. WELL PRESIDENT GAVE IT TO HER AND GUESS WHAT, "WE CAN PASS THIS HEALTH REFORM BILL AND SEE WHAT IT IS AFTER WE MAKE IT A LAW". I ALWAYS THOUGHT YOU WERE TO VOTE ON A BILL AFTER YOU HAD READ IT AND UNDERSTOOD IT TO BE SURE IT REALLY WOULD HELP THE COUNTRY. NOT MAKE IT A LAW AND THEN READ IT. KINDA LIKE BUYING THE CART BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR HORSE. WHAT IF THE HORSE ISN'T BIG ENOUGH TO PULL THE CART? WHAT YOU GOING TO DO THEN?
YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK WILL SAVE THIS GREAT COUNTRY? GOT A LOT OF IDEAS BUT NO ONE WOULD BELIEVE AN OLD FAT RETIRED GUY LIKE ME ANYWAY. MY WIFE IS FROM EUROPE. A COUNTRY THAT HAS SOCIALIZED "FREE MEDICAL". HER MOTHER HAD A STROKE. PARAMEDICS CAME GOT HER SOME WHAT STABILIZED AND LEFT. SHE WAS ALONE FOR THREE DAYS BEFORE WE FOUND OUT SHE WAS SICK. MY WIFE WENT THERE AND TOOK CARE OF HER UNTIL SHE GOT BACK ON HER FEET. THE PARAMDICS HAD GIVEN HER THE WRONG MEDS AND SHE ALMOST DIDN'T MAKE IT UNTIL THE DOCTOR CAME BY AND CORRECTED THE MISTAKE. THAT WHAT YOU WANT IN THIS COUNTRY? THAT'S WHAT YOU GOING TO GET. WHY YOU THINK PEOPLE FROM CANADA COME HERE FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT? IT'S IS VERY GOOD AND THEY CAN GET TREATED WITHOUT WAITING A YEAR OR TWO.
THE IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL THAT WANTS TO GIVE AMMNISTY TO ALL THESE CRIMINALS IS REALLY A SLAP IN THE FACE TO PEOPLE LIKE ME AND MY FAMILY. WE HAVE PAID ALL THE FEES, REQUIREMENTS AND FOLLOWED THE RULES AS BEST WE COULD TO BRING MY WIFE, DAUGHTER AND NOW THE GRANDMOTHER TO AMERICA. IT HAS BEEN VERY EXPENSIVE BUT WORTH EVERY PENNY. GRAND MOTHER IS 8- AND WAS ALMOST BLIND WHEN SHE GOT HERE. WE PAID TO HAVE BILATERAL CATARACT SURGERY PERFORMED AND NOW SHE HAS 20/40 VISION. SHE SAID THAT WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED IN HER COUNTRY UNLESS YOU WERE VERY RICH AND IMPORTANT.
PEOPLE IN AMERICA NEED TO WAKE UP. YOU GIVE OUR JOBS AWAY BECAUSE YOU WANT TOO MUCH MONEY FOR WAGES. THE FOREIGNERS WILL WORK FOR A DOLLAR A DAY BECAUSE IT IS A LOT MORE THAN WHAT THEY WERE GETTING. AND THEY ARE DOING IT SO THAT YOU, THE GOOD AMERICAN, CAN SET ON YOUR BACKSIDE AND WAIT FOR YOUR MONTHLY "ENTITLEMENT" FROM THE GOVERNMENT. SO DON'T BLAME OBAMA FOR THAT...BILL CLINTON....TRUST ME... THAT LIED TO CONGRESS SIGNED INTO LAW THE NAFTA TRADE AGREEMENT AND STARTED THIS COUNTRY ON A DOWNWARD SPIRAL. ALL FOR THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR.
I THINK YOU NEED TO GIVE SARAH A BETTER REVIEW IN THE FUTURE SO YOU WON'T LOOK SO BAD OR SMALL. HOPE LIFE TREATS YOU BETTER...IF NOT, GET ON THE OBAMA TRAIN. RIDE IT TILL IT STOPS AT THE PACIFIC RIM. GET OUT YOUR HANDY TRANSLATOR ON YOUR OBAMA PHONE AND LOOK UP CHINESE LANGUAGE. YOU GOING TO NEED IT.

Rubio is playing the friends and family game. He'll hide them all in the basement until it's safe to come out. Let him prove himself in his own state before he tells the country how it should be. That goes for the rest of congress also. Let's make congress work for a living like the people who work and make this country possible.

According to an e-mail I just read from NumbersUSA, Senator Rubio is not alone in being against any sort of amnesty during election season and now being for it- or okay with it.
From the e-mail:

"THE STORIES THEY TOLD
By: Erick Erickson

June 25th, 2013 at 04:30 AM

Republicans (and red state Democrats) used to tell voters amazing things about their oppositi on to amnesty. Then they got elected and supported legislation that actually weakens border security and puts people on a path not just to legalization, but to citizenship, before ever securing our borders.

1. Rubio: "I would vote against anything that grants amnesty because I think it destroys your ability to enforce the existing law and I think it's unfair to the people who are standing in line and waiting to come in legally. I would vote against anything that has amnesty in it."

2. Corker: "We need a new immigration policy that reflects America's values. First, secure this border. Allow people to work here but only if they're legal. No amnesty. Those employed but here illeg ally must go home and return through legal channels."

3. Wicker: "I agree that illegal immigration is a major issue that needs to be addressed. However, I oppose amnesty as the solution."

4. Ayotte: "For the people who are here illegally, I don't support amnesty; it's wrong. It's wrong to the people who are waiting in line here, who have waited for so long. And we need to stop that because I think that's where the Administration is heading next."

5. Flake: "I've been down that road, and it is a dead end. The political realities in Washington are such that a comprehensive solution is not possible, or even desirable given the current leadership. Border security must be addressed before other reforms are tackled."

6. Hatch: "We can no longer grant amnesty. I fought against the 1986 Simpson-Mazzoli bill because they granted amnesty to 3 million people. They should have to get in line like anybody else if they want to come into this country and do it legally."

7. Heller: "I believe it is an amnesty program, a back-door amnesty program for the 12 to 15 million people who are here illegally."

8. Alexander: "We cannot restore a system of legal immigration "which is the real American Dream "if we undermine it by granting new benefits to those who are here illegally."

9. Collins: Before 2008 reelection, voted no on McCain-Kennedy amnesty.

10. Hoeven: Hoeven said the U.S. needs to secure its borders and crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants.

11. McCain: "Complete the danged fence."

12. Graham: Amid withering criticism from his constituents, Graham, who is up for reelection next year, began to argue that it was time to approach the immigration problem in stages. On Thursday, he likened the decisive vote to pass his amendment to "having been robbed 12 million times and finally getting around to putting a lock on the door."

13. Kirk: "The American people believe our borders are broken. It is a fundamental duty of our government to know who is entering the country, making illegal entry nearly impossible. In the coming Congress, we have an overwhelming bipartisan consensus to restore confidence in the security of our borders "before we pursue other immigration proposals."

14. Murkowski: "With regard to undocumented aliens, I believe that those who illegally entered or remained in the United States should not be granted amnesty. Granting amnesty to illegal aliens sends the wrong message and is not fair to the vast majority of immigrants who abided by U.S. immigration laws. Granting amnesty would only encourage further illegal immigration."

15. Chisea: Joined most other Republicans, including opponents of the legislation, in supporting a proposal, which was defeated largely along party lines, that would have blocked legalization until the government can prove U.S. borders are secure. Chiesa said he sees border security as a top priority given his law enforcement background, and has yet to decide his stance on citizenshi p for immigrants without authorization.

Red State Democrats

1. Pryor: "I voted against the president's immigration plan today because the border security and enforcement measures are inadequate and the bill fails to effectively address the individuals who are already here illegally." Pryor says it's time for changes, "It's time for a new approach. I advocate that we strengthen and implement the enforcement measures in this bill and show we can fully enforce immigration laws."

2. Tester: He wants secure borders and no amnesty fo r law breakers.

3. Landrieu: "Sen. Landrieu is a leader in the U.S. Senate fighting against illegal immigration," Schneider said. "She has fought against amnesty for illegal immigrants and to provide more resources for border security. The new NRSC attack is designed simply to mislead voters about Sen. Landrieu's record."

4. Donnelly: "Eliminate amnesty because no one should ever be rewarded for breaking the law."

6. McCaskill: Claire does not support amnesty. As a former prosecutor, Claire believes people who break the law should be held accountable, both illegal immigrants and the employers who exploit them for cheap labor. Claire does not believe we need any new guest worker programs undermining American workers.

7. Stabenow: Do you support path to citizenship for illegal immigrants? STABENOW: I voted no, because it went too far and cost us jobs. I do think it's important to have border security and legal system that is fair and effective. My focus is on our jobs that we're losing because of failed policies."

I have never been so disappointed in anyone as I am in Marco Rubio. I am just glad he has shown his true colors now before he became our nominee. And as for as Sarah Palin"s remarks I trust her to always be truthful. Can no longer trust Rubio.

Palin nails it as usual - First secure the border then deal with the illegals who are here. The senate amendment is window dressing to give establishment R's cover to vote for senate bill - sad to see Rubio sucked into the DC incestuous culture - his only chance to redeem himself now is to vote against the bill

"Palin highlighted a story from Townhall.com which insisted Rubio shifted his position on immigration between when he ran for the Senate in 2010 and today."

That shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone in Florida. After all, when he was Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives he refused to bring 5 bills to the floor for debate that would have allowed Florida to crack down on illegal immigrants. Nope, some of us knew where he'd stand even as he said otherwise in his bid to get elected as a U.S. Senator.

All these illegal and 99 percent r Hispanic penniless illiterates come here for free benefits from the white majority. Brazil has a better economy than the US but they do not go there because they r treated like the criminal invader illiterates that they r.
They r invaders and usurpers remove our congress and evil senate from power.